March madness

Citizens of Dundee, the All Under One Banner circus comes to town on Saturday, 18 August.preparetobeshocked, disgusted and embarrassed – whatever side you’re on.

It’s claimed that as many as 50,000 go on these marches. A video was made of the Inverness parade on 28 July and 3,400 were counted, one quarter of the claimed 14,000.

I was there, and stood opposite a token group of Unionsupporting activists who blasted out Rule Britannia and provocative soundbites such as “welcome to the British city of Inverness”, competing for volume with the black-clad “Bikers for Independence”, whose full throttling of their superbikes ricocheted deafeningly off the walls of Bridge Street to the delight of the marchers trudging by.

It was awful: horrible and humiliating in front of all the tourists. The words “Scotland, what have they done to you” kept coming into my head and, honestly, tears filled my eyes.

I agree with Kenny Macaskill, who has said this is not the way to conduct a debate on the future of my beloved country. However, the blame for this disgrace to democracy lies squarely at the door of the SNP, who unleashed this tribal, bitter cult and now have the brass neck complain when they can’t get the genie back in the bottle.

ALLAN SUTHERLAND Willow Row, Stonehaven

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would be well-advised to listen to the advice given by former SNP minister Kenny Macaskill when he says the SNP marches are not doing their cause any good with the electorate and they must start

listening to voters and engaging them on their doorsteps.

Under Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership the SNP has lost direction and purpose in the goal for separation and has lost contact and support with the electorate as more important matters of education and the NHS are now preoccupying Scottish voters.

DENNIS FORBES GRATTAN Mugiemoss Road, Bucksburn